Zayra Baby says an unnamed Ugandan artist left her frustrated after allegedly failing to fully pay her for a project she worked on for an entire day — despite the two having developed a close friendship.
The popular TikToker said her experiences working with some Ugandan artists have not always gone as expected, with one particular situation ultimately causing her to cut ties with the artist.
According to Zayra, the artist first became her friend before asking her to collaborate on a project. She agreed to take on the work even though she had mock examinations coming up.
The job reportedly stretched from 6 a.m. until midnight.
Zayra said that after completing the work, she asked to be paid so she could leave and prepare for her exams the following day. That was when, according to her account, she discovered the artist did not have enough money to cover even a quarter of her rate.
“I have worked with a lot of artists, and it doesn’t go as expected. This person befriended me, and I worked thinking I was working with my friend. We worked from 6 am, did a lot of things,” she said.
Zayra said she was in Form 6 at the time and had mock exams the following day.
“I was in Form 6, and after working, at around midnight, I asked if I could leave because I had MOCK exams the next day. I asked for my money, and they didn’t even have a quarter of it. They promised to pay more afterward, but they have never paid,” she recalled.
According to Zayra, the artist later approached her again for help with another music challenge, despite the previous payment issue.
That reportedly became a turning point in their relationship.
“I was really surprised that the same person even returned later and asked me to work on another challenge for their music,” she said.
Zayra said she ultimately stopped communicating with the artist because she places a high value on people keeping their commitments.
“I don’t talk to them anymore because I love people who respect their word,” she concluded.
The artist was not identified in the account, and no response from the artist was included in the material provided.